Archive for June, 2009

Do you agree with me that childhood obesity is a problem in America – a growing problem! Do you believe with me that every person who touches the life of a child should be doing something to help the child around this problem? Do you believe that someone in the field of nutrition should take a responsible stance in favor of eating proper foods? If you answered, “Yes”, to each of these questions then read this and weep with me!

“Which of the following is considered a junk food according to national school nutrition standards?

A. Hi-C Blast – vitamin fortified sugar water

B. Poland Springs seltzer water – water with bubbles

C. French fries

D. Candy Bars

If you guessed A, C or D you’d be wrong. Believe it or not, seltzer water is the only item on this list banned as a junk food because it doesn’t contain any vitamins or minerals. Yup, french fries, candy bars, and Hi-C aren’t officially considered junk food. That’s just crazy when you consider that children ages 6-11 are four times more likely to be obese than children were a generation ago.1 Four times! Today nearly one-third of all children are overweight or obese, placing them at heightened risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many other serious diseases.”(From: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Statement Regarding Release of Estimates of Obesity Prevalence Among U.S. Children and Teens, http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=31611, Beyond Health Care – New Directions to a Healthier America, Robert Wood Johnson Commission to Build a Healthier America, p. 7. http://www.commissiononhealth.org/Report.aspx?Publication=64498)

So, then, what do each of us need to do to help people understand that just because it’s written down and footnoted, it’s not necessarily ‘gospel’?